It’s not been the most successful of seasons for The Walking Dead, with season eight of the show earning itself something of a backlash amongst its fanbase. Furthermore, its ratings have tumbled this year, with its lowest numbers for five or six years being recorded.

Whilst The Walking Dead season nine is still likely to happen, interestingly, there hasn’t yet been a formal announcement of the show’s renewal.

But what are the ratings falling? Well, according to David Alpert, executive producer and CEO of Skybound Entertainment, it’s a shift in the way that people are watching television that’s to blame.

“I don’t think in any way the brand has lost its relevance in general”, Alpert has argued. “I think we’re just seeing a decline in urgency across all media to consume something at a specific time”.

There’s merit to the argument, certainly, but also, this is the environment that The Walking Dead has thrived in recently.

The second half of The Walking Dead season eight premieres at the end of February. All concerned, no matter what Alpert insists, will surely be hoping for a storytelling and ratings upturn.